Regulatory status of genome-editing plants: perspectives for Russian Federation

Abstract

The high-quality regulatory support for the use of plant genome editing technology is an urgent scientific and practical task of modern agriculture. Currently, the status of plants obtained using genomic editing (GE) technologies is not defined in Russian legislation. The article describes the principles and mechanism of CRISPR/Cas9 technology, and discusses the biological safety of the GE-plants. Fundamentally different approaches to genetically modified (GM) and GE-plants in the world are analyzed. We discuss the problems and contradictions of extending the GM-plants legal regulation to GE-plants. In particular, the European Court of Justice decision that extended the European GM-plants legislation for GE-plants. It is proposed to determine the legal status of GE-plants in Russian legislation, taking into account existing international practices, and protect the interests of the government in the field of biological and food security.